TO most folk over the age of 60, this brave new computerised world is not only baffling, but downright infuriating.

And these emotions must have escalated into the realms of hate and despair for thousands of newly-fledged old age pensioners. These are the unfortunates who, after perhaps half-a-century of working life, have been waiting anything up to six months to have their 'topping-up' details sorted out by the benefits agency.

Learning of the not-inconsiderable plight, I contacted Gregson House at St Helens and was told that the reason was due to a major computer crash last year which hit the service nationally. How soon will it be put right? Your guess is as good as ours was the general impression I was left with.

But what happens about any underpaid amounts that should have been added to the basic state pension? Wasn't there a regulation which spelled out that only three months of a shortfall would be paid? Not in these exceptional circumstances, said the patient and sympathetic lady at the end of the phone.

But what if the beneficiary died in the meantime? Oh, that was OK. The widowed spouse could make a claim for any underpaid amount due - a real crumb of comfort there!

Would interest be paid on the amount still being held back by the computer cock-up? That apparently does not enter into the equation.

Now, without putting any further dread into the minds of the many elderly folk still awaiting news of their final pension details, I just hope that the benefits bods get that major computerised system up and running efficiently before any millennium bug tries to get its teeth into it.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.